


Bound Together

by Anonymous



Category: Gallifrey (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi, Other, Time War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 17:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5635954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There had always been one thing binding them together, and that thing was Romana. </p><p>Which was why it was clearly nothing but a mockery of them when one morning they woke up and found Romana dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bound Together

When the Time War broke out, Rassilon and his supporters were quick to depose Romana, and they had to go underground.

Just like old time, Romana had said sarcastically.

And it had been, in a way. They were a team, they knew each other well enough to get through this. They had fought wars, travelled universes, seen political ups and downs, lost and loved, all of it together.

And they could do this too. Overthrow Rassilon, regain power, end this war, and save Gallifrey. Nothing our of the ordinary, really.

But in that time, there had always been one thing binding them together, and that thing was Romana.

Which why it was clearly nothing but a mockery of them when one morning they woke up, and found Romana dead.

They had all fallen asleep together, and through the night someone had sneaked into their camp and pierced both Romana’s hearts.

Her eyes were open, and her mouth parted in a silent scream. But none of them had heard it. Even if they had they wouldn’t have been able to save her.

Leela cried over Romana’s body, screaming oaths of vengeance then apologised softly to Romana for having failed to protect her.

After a while, Narvin attempted to pull her away. One of them had to be practical, had to make sure they all keep going.

Braxiatel stood and watched. It was as if something broke inside of him the moment he saw Romana lying dead before his feet, and he knew no more how to fix himself than he knew how to bring Romana back to them.

As Narvin managed to pull Leela into his arms, despite her threats and protests, the reality of it finally dawned on him.

He had always thought Romana would outlive all of them. He only had this one regeneration, Leela was human, and Braxiatel had spent more of his regenerations than Romana. This wasn’t right.

He had always been afraid of death, something which all Time Lords shunned away from, but right now he wished more than anything that he was the one lying dead on the ground instead of Romana. At least that way they could continue.

But without Romana, what was the point of it all?

He pulled Leela closer, for his own comfort rather than hers, and Braxiatel seemed to realise that just staring at the corpse before him wouldn’t bring Romana back.

“We have to go,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically shaky.

“I will not leave Romana!” Leela protested. “I will not!” 

“He’s right,” Narvin agreed. “They could be back for us soon, Leela.”

“They do not care for us, or they would have killed us as well,” Leela spat, and she was right. They all knew she was right. But if they couldn’t fight for Romana they had to find some other course, and although it seemed the last thing any of them wanted in this moment, surviving was the only option. They could pretend that the urge to live felt stronger than the grief that raged through all of them.

One of them has to take charge, has to decide what to do next, but none of them want to take Romana’s place.

“We should give her a burial,” Braxiatel suggested hollowly.

“Not here,” Leela objected. “This is the land of our enemy. We should go to her home. Let her rest among her ancestors.”

“We can’t,” Braxiatel told her. “House Heartshaven is on the other side of the planet. It would take us weeks, if not months to get there. And by then…” He stopped, turning very pale at the thought. “It has to be here. And now.”

Leela looked back down at Romana and then crouched down to close the Time Lady’s eyes. “You are right,” she told Braxiatel. “Narvin, what do you think.”

“It’s an overly sentimental gesture. I don’t care what you do, as long as we can move on soon,” he said harshly. Because hiding behind sarcasm and anger was so much easier. Because right now that was all he had left.

“Narvin, do not pretend that you do not care for her,” Leela threatened. “I will not let you shame Romana’s memory in that way.”

“What else can I do?” He demanded. “I lost everything I have worked for all of my life. I can’t… I don’t…” His voice broke, and this time Leela was the one to pull him into her arms.

“That is not true,” Leela said softly. “You have me, and Braxiatel-“ She looked up at Braxiatel, and she could see in his eyes that she is right. “We will not leave you, Narvin, as you will not leave us.”

“We can’t bury her,” he croaked. “They would only dig her body up again.”

“He’s right,” Braxiatel agreed.

“What else will we do, then?” Leela asked.

“A funeral pyre,” Narvin suggested.

They gathered only what they needed and left everything else behind, including anything that might remind them of Romana. A war is no time for sentimentalism, and none of them seriously believe that they will live to see the end of this one.

Before they leave Leela lit their campsite on fire, kissing Romana’s cold left before the fire reached her. As they walked away the flames roared behind them.

None of them dared to look back.


End file.
